Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting canister stove in the cold

it can be done

typically canister stoves start showing diminished output around freezing, the colder it is the more output is diminished

old tricks I've used- keep the canister in the foot of my sleeping bag; warm a little water and put it in a bowl- add canister- voila

but the best "trick" is one I just recently tried- a thin copper strap that is heated by the flame and transfers enough heat to the canister to keep things firing nicely; not an original idea- lots written about it and lots of experimentation (some down to negative double digits). from my reading a 1" strip and roughly 20 gauge thickness

I also found that my new stove-a MSR PocketRocket "Deluxe", has made a big difference in performance in colder weather as it's regulated (vs most canister stoves that are not)

looks like this



and in use

Right on McGyver!!

can't take credit for it, but after reading about it was intrigued enough to try it- it works

Well, consider that idea stolen.

Yep, as I recall a gentleman from New England that posts over on the BACKPACKINGLIGHT.com gear forum (A forum.that many here should look at) first developed those copper "thermal feedback strips" around five years ago.

Of course, the key is to not overheat the camister.. (kaboom!)

Excellent tip! Thank You for sharing it.

Indeed, the "Moulder Strip" originated with Bob Moulder from NY:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/98947/?offset=8900#comments

A followup thread:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/testing-moulder-strips-at-15f-26c/

And yet more:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/moulder-strip-directions/?offset=15450#comments

For stoves with inline hose, turn the canister upside down.

I have a MSR Winpro that allows me to do that and it definitely works pretty well, of course it's more than double the weight of my PRDeluxe

That is a neat rick.. Thanks for sharing

We used to use a flattened piece of copper tubing and a windscreen for winter climbs. I remember Mark Twight describing the methodology in one of his books written in the '90s he might have gotten the concept from Todd Bibler for use w/ his hanging stoves.


mike r

Very interesting. Thanks.

One of the few good things about being an aged mountain guy is living through the advances in gear and knowledge and knowing some of the pioneers.


mike r

Yeah, I've been fortunate to be around this stuff since the mid 1970's but I'm always learning something new...

Its great to see basic heat transfer physics at work.

Looks like a good idea. Two questions.

1. So where does a person go to buy a 6" x 3/4" Strip of 20 gauge Cu?

2. What's that gray thing attached to the stem of your Pocket Rocket? Looks like an anti-theft device. Did you rip off your stove?

The picture of your stove in the snow includes a flat stone for a stove base to insulate the canister from the snow. The stone is probably cold. A small slab of cardboard or 1/4" plywood works pretty good. A few sticks laid down parallel to each other works good also and you don't have to carry them in your pack. Tie them together with a shoe string.

got mine on Ebay- think it came in a 10" strip???? I'll look for the link

the "stone" is a closed cell foam piece (two pieces) I made to insulate the bottom

looks like it's 24 gauge

here's the link, comes in a 12" piece

https://www.ebay.com/itm/COPPER-STR...3363210&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

2. What's that gray thing attached to the stem of your Pocket Rocket? Looks like an anti-theft device. Did you rip off your stove?

HAHA now that is funny! I could be wrong but it appears to be a track for one of the wall mount modular rack systems you put in your garage. I think the stove valve looks as if it is touching the end cap of the racking.

oh I missed that part, yeah it's a garage rack setup in the first picture

I haven't checked, and probably won't til everything calms down, but I bet the Ace Hardware on Circle and Galley will probably have it. Probably the best variety of hardware and random stuff in the Springs.

Ace does usually have a good ass't of different materials; even if it was wider stock- 24 gauge is thin enough to easily trim to size

Remember when a Coleman Peak 1 was a lightweight backpacking stove?

I just use a windscreen in low temps. Seems to accomplish the same thing, basically, reflects heat back down to the canister. Plus keeps cook time down. Has worked down to zero degrees F for me but at lower altitudes. The copper conductor is a good idea, though.

Just something that may be useful---after spending many years in AK roaming the Brooks and the interior. I picked up a useful tip from dog Mushers. Alcohol stoves are the only thing that can be relied upon when temps get down to cold (35-50 below). I've tried most stoves and a can of pure alcohol is the only thing that can be relied on. No pressure to try to maintain, no o rings that fail to seal, just good old alcohol , a candle and waterproof matches. Works first time, every time.
Good Hunting
Lj